Dominic Waghorn

Diplomatic Editor

He's young, popular and promises more change than his country's ever seen.

They call him MBS. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The heir to the Saudi throne and power behind it and one of the most powerful and controversial figures in the Middle East.

He has promised the most ambitious reform programme in his country's history but is also the architect of a divisive foreign policy across the region.

Image:The Crown Prince is attempting to reform the conservative kingdom

His supporters believe he is moving his kingdom out of the dark ages and into the 21st century after the 32 year old's rapid-fire promotion to Crown Prince last year.

Women will be given the freedom to drive from June. They can go to football games for the first time. The notorious religious police have been reined in and MBS says he wants to return moderate Islam to Saudi Arabia.

The latter, in particular, is a hugely significant admission for a country long accused of practising and propagating ultra-conservative beliefs around the world.

The centrepiece of the MBS reform programme is "Vision 2030". It is promising wholesale changes to Saudi Arabia, socially and economically, if not politically.

Video:Saudi activist: Change is coming

But some say the lines between social liberalisation and political progress are being blurred. Critics of the Saudi royal family are finding themselves increasingly squeezed. Journalists and activists have been harassed and arrested.

Just days ago a prominent Saudi newspaper columnist was jailed for five years after accusing the royal court of practising corruption.

Most have since been released after agreeing to handover billions of dollars of assets to the state.

Image:The Ritz-Carlton hotel became a gilded prison for hundreds of influential Saudis

Saudi Arabia's finance minister Mohammed al Jadaan told Sky News more than $100bn (£72bn) has been recouped and around 50 people charged. But he rejected accusations that the move was a political show of strength.

"There's zero tolerance on corruption. The law will be enforced today and tomorrow and there's no exception".

In the eyes of many longstanding reformists in Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman represents the best, albeit imperfect, hope in decades for domestic change.

But an aggressive foreign policy has seen a Saudi Arabia attempt to confront regional rival Iran more directly than ever before.

Image:Mohammed bin Salman's power seems unassailable... for now

In Yemen it has led a coalition of Arab countries in bombing Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for nearly three years. The Saudis have been accused of contributing to thousands of civilian deaths both with air strikes and stifling aid efforts with an intermittent air and sea blockade.

It has, along with regional allies, boycotted Qatar since last summer, demanding its Gulf neighbour fall into line and orchestrated the resignation of Lebanon's Prime Minister, traditionally Saudi's closest ally in the country, before he reversed his decision after outrage in Beirut.

When it comes to the world stage some say the Crown Prince is confusing impatience for ambition, leading Saudi Arabia into intractable and damaging misadventures.

But his plans for change within the kingdom have been welcomed by many in the West hoping it could have a beneficial impact across the Muslim world.